I bought a few sets of OEM empty carts for my canon MP780 printer and following several guides here, I successfully flushed a few carts. The sponges came complete or very close to white and I refilled and have been using them well. I replaced all but the BCI-3BK cart this way, as I still had ink in that. Now it is time to replace that as well and having trouble getting a clean BCI-3BK cart. I tried so far 4 carts and all have the same problem. The sponge doesn't turn white, no matter what I do. When I start flushing it, at first I do get blackened water, but the water soon turns clear even though the sponge is still black. So far I didn't have to resort to the elaborate flushing instruments that folks have built here, as simply running through hot tap water cleared most of it, and the rest came out easy by simply blowing with mouth. Since this is not working on the black cart, I tried using the microwave technique, but surprisingly, it doesn't loosen the ink even a bit. After heating the carts considerably, the alcohol simply comes out clear and further flushing also doesn't release anymore ink. However, the water seems to drip (though not sure how fast it is suppose to drip, when the top vent and the refill hole are open). What should I do at this point? Should I try using one of those just like that or is there anything else I can do? Why is this happening to all BCI-3BK carts while most of BCI-6 carts cleaned up just fine? I don't really want to build the flushing instrument unless it is really necessary. Meanwhile, I had to take my printer offline as I had no other cart. Please help.
help flushing stubborn black ink from canon oem carts
- Thread starter irha
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- #3
tigerwan, thank you so much for your response. I must have wasted a quite a few hours trying to get the sponges to white and went through a lot of trouble delaying prints etc. to conserve ink in the last cart I had while trying to get a cart ready for refill. Thanks again.
on30trainman
Printer Guru
irha,
One thing I found out (as have others) is don't let the sponge in the pigment ink cartridge dry out completely before refilling. If the sponge becomes completely dry the pigment ink doesn't flow into the sponge area very well. Forum member Pharmacist has come up with a conditioning solution: 2 to 3%glycerin, 20% isopropyl alcohol and fill to 100% with distilled water (I use RO water 98% pure). I tried it this past weekend on four purged, completely dry PG5BK cartridges - filled with solution until the sponges were fully wet and blew out excess solution, let set/dry overnight and filled - took ink like a sponge (pun intended).
And yes - pigment ink cartridges don't come white after purging - just dirty gray. I even tried Windex after the initial purge - it lightened the sponge somewhat, but was a harder/longer job to accomplish. Let the Windex sit in the cartridge for at least a day before doing a second purge. Wasn't worth the effort. The four PG5BK cartridges mentioned above weren't cleaned with Windex.
Steve W.
One thing I found out (as have others) is don't let the sponge in the pigment ink cartridge dry out completely before refilling. If the sponge becomes completely dry the pigment ink doesn't flow into the sponge area very well. Forum member Pharmacist has come up with a conditioning solution: 2 to 3%glycerin, 20% isopropyl alcohol and fill to 100% with distilled water (I use RO water 98% pure). I tried it this past weekend on four purged, completely dry PG5BK cartridges - filled with solution until the sponges were fully wet and blew out excess solution, let set/dry overnight and filled - took ink like a sponge (pun intended).
And yes - pigment ink cartridges don't come white after purging - just dirty gray. I even tried Windex after the initial purge - it lightened the sponge somewhat, but was a harder/longer job to accomplish. Let the Windex sit in the cartridge for at least a day before doing a second purge. Wasn't worth the effort. The four PG5BK cartridges mentioned above weren't cleaned with Windex.
Steve W.
- Thread starter
- #5
Steve, since this is the first time I am refilling (bought the empties on ebay), I didn't have a choice, I don't even know for how long they have been sitting empty. Is it then preferable to reuse the current cartridge that still has a few drops of ink in it, though it is not an oem cartridge? Also, you said the sponge at best comes dirty gray, but mine seems pitch black, does that mean there is still some scope for cleaning it? I am assuming that the condition solution doesn't pull anymore dried ink out of it, just conditions otherwise good sponge. Further help is appreciated.
on30trainman
Printer Guru
irha,
I think that maybe you misunderstood my reply somewhat - and I think I may have been somewhat wrong/cofusing in my gray/black comment.
The PG5BK cartridges I was talking about were also bought on E-Bay and were sent without the Orange outlet caps. Here is the way I purge - I remove the plastic ball over the spongeless compartment and forward purge through that hole with a adapter that connects to my faucet (used with RO systems), through some plastic aquarium tubing to a short piece of 5/32" OD metal tubing. The tubing force fits into the hole on the cartridge top. Water is forced into the compartment and then into the sponge, outputting through the larger outlet port. The water flow is rather intense. My method prevents the sponge from moving away from the outlet hole as the so-called reverse flush method can - especially with the larger pigment ink cartridges.
But as far as color goes - a still damp/wet purged cartridge will appear very black - it does get lighter when it is completely dry. But not the dirty gray I said. That is (should have been said) for a cartridge with the Windex step. I am looking at a dry PG5BK that has had only a water purge and a dry BCI-3eBK that had the additional Windex step - the PG5BK is a dark gray/black and the BCI-3eBK is a light gray.
If a purged cartridge has become completely dry, wet it with a little water or, better, use the glycerin/alcohol/water solution.
Steve W.
I think that maybe you misunderstood my reply somewhat - and I think I may have been somewhat wrong/cofusing in my gray/black comment.
The PG5BK cartridges I was talking about were also bought on E-Bay and were sent without the Orange outlet caps. Here is the way I purge - I remove the plastic ball over the spongeless compartment and forward purge through that hole with a adapter that connects to my faucet (used with RO systems), through some plastic aquarium tubing to a short piece of 5/32" OD metal tubing. The tubing force fits into the hole on the cartridge top. Water is forced into the compartment and then into the sponge, outputting through the larger outlet port. The water flow is rather intense. My method prevents the sponge from moving away from the outlet hole as the so-called reverse flush method can - especially with the larger pigment ink cartridges.
But as far as color goes - a still damp/wet purged cartridge will appear very black - it does get lighter when it is completely dry. But not the dirty gray I said. That is (should have been said) for a cartridge with the Windex step. I am looking at a dry PG5BK that has had only a water purge and a dry BCI-3eBK that had the additional Windex step - the PG5BK is a dark gray/black and the BCI-3eBK is a light gray.
If a purged cartridge has become completely dry, wet it with a little water or, better, use the glycerin/alcohol/water solution.
Steve W.
- Thread starter
- #7
Could you give me an idea of how fast the water would drip if the vent and the plastic ball over the spongeless compartment open? May be that can give me more confidence that my cartridge is clean enough for refilling? Thank you.
- Thread starter
- #9
What I am worried is about dried and clogged ink that is not getting dissolved with water and partially obstructing the flow of ink. Even though the water is flowing now, is the ink flow going to be smooth enough is what I am trying to determine. May be I can try soaking them in windex and see if they come to light gray after drying.
jflan
Printing Ninja
I wouldn't soak them in Windex, just flush until the water exiting the cart is clear, as stated above. I don't know if warming the water or using distilled water helps, but that's what I do.
The foam chamber will be a light grey color no matter how many times you flush it.
As an aside I think it's been proven that tap water is OK as well as Windex, so my heated, distilled water may be unnecessary.
The foam chamber will be a light grey color no matter how many times you flush it.
As an aside I think it's been proven that tap water is OK as well as Windex, so my heated, distilled water may be unnecessary.
